Office Storage Solutions

Now that you've started decorating your workspace with a few of those tips you got from my previous post, you've probably discovered that you're in need of some storage solutions to help provide a bit of disguise.  Here are a few extra tips for workspace storage:


Magazine Files
These bad boys are great for use on bookshelves, inside cabinets or even directly on top of your desk.  They conceal a multitude of materials from loose paper to spiral bound notebooks and of course, they are great for organizing magazines.  When displaying magazine files have the tall spine showing outward so as to streamline the look.  TIP: don't stack all the magazine files in one location, spread them around.

Baskets/Boxes
Another great way to conceal office materials is to enclose them inside boxes or baskets.  Think about using them all over your office, on your bookcase, shelves or even as your wastebasket.  Depending on the material you select they can have a softening effect on your space and transform the look into a cozy atmosphere.  Boxes with lids are great for concealing anything from extra power cords/cables, paper, CDs, DVDs, etc.  Baskets without lids are great for displaying magazines, books, large rolls of paper that can't be stored anywhere else (i.e. blueprints), umbrellas, etc.  TIP: when housing boxes/baskets below eye level make sure that what you and your clients can see is tidy.

Closed Storage
An office storage essential is to have closed storage available in your space.  Closed storage is great for hiding office sins such as supplies, envelopes, paper, etc.  Closed storage is great for filing invoices and bills and this way everything is kept orderly and out of the line of sight. Keeping loose objects hidden from view creates a calming atmosphere in your office and is very inviting.  You don't have to use the standard office furniture in your space (unless you work in a typical office environment), try selecting furniture that would be used elsewhere in your home i.e. a buffet.  TIP: if you're not so handy with organizing try labeling the shelves or use low boxes with labels to keep everything in it's place.

Behind the Door Storage
A quick and easy solution for small space office storage is to have storage behind the door. Shoe organizers that hang over the back of your door create great opportunity for storage solutions such as excess cords/cables, office supplies, etc.  You can get them in different materials and levels of opacity.  Clear shoe organizers allow you to see what's being stored while canvas organizers hide the contents.  TIP: label the pockets so you know exactly what's inside.

Those are just a few office storage solutions to keep in mind, there are many objects that can be used in your space so get creative and think outside the box, unless the box has a lid and then you could totally use that in your space (wink).


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
IKEA

The Beach Tote

Now that you have your swimwear taken care of (see previous post) it's time to focus on a beach essential - the tote.  This little guy is going to carry you throughout the day and should be taken into careful consideration before you lug your gear to the sandy shores.


Your beach tote should be chic and stylish and reflect a laid-back lifestyle, so the bag you bring with you shouldn't be stuffy - but that doesn't mean that you can't have some fun!


Check out some of these totes that I've selected for a bit of inspiration the next time you're out on the hunt for this season's essential beach accessory:

Happy Shopping!

Courtesy of:

The Gap

Boden

Tommy Hilfiger

Kate Spade

Aldo

Old Navy

Juicy Couture

Shopstyle.com

It's that dreaded time of year again...bikini season!

Yes ladies, it's that fateful time of year again, the dreaded beach season.  So many of you out there are (or have been) working to get your beach bodies in shape; and there are those of us who are comfortable in our bodies and don't hit the gym on a regular basis who are all looking to get a bikini/bathing suit for the season, so be sure to read on.  I'll let you know the best beach gear to be sporting for all sorts of body types on those sandy shores this summer.


For the Curvy Gal:
Accentuating your waistline is the key so be sure to select styles of bathing suits that hug or wrap around your midsection to help provide emphasis to that hourglass shape of yours.  To help draw the eye up, consider halter necklines and deep v-necks to reinforce your curves.  Bikini's should be considered provided that the attention is brought up from the hips.

The Curvy Gal shouldn't...wear a suit that doesn't support an ample bosom or a curvy bottom.  If the suit doesn't draw enough attention to the neckline or waist it should be avoided.


For the Gal with Broad Shoulders:
Consider swimwear that has vertical lines, diagonal patterns and such to help elongate the body and draw the eye away from broad shoulders to create a sliming effect.  Shop for suits that have wider straps and fall around the mid-shoulder, as well as scoop-neck or v-neck to help with elongating the body.

The Gal with Broad Shoulders should avoid...halter and racerback necklines.


The Well-Endowed Gals:
Underwire is essential for the gals with larger bosoms to help provide support for the girls. Materials that have lycra (stretch) are beneficial for comfort.  Select straps that are a bit wider so as to avoid them digging into your shoulders.

Those Well-Endowed Gals should avoid...belts.  Unless you have a longer torso and smaller waist.


Those not so Well-Endowed Gals:
There are a ton of options for us ladies who are not so large in the boob department (myself included), select swimwear that has padding and an underwire or you could also try string or triangle bikinis to help boost the girls.  Wear bold prints and colours to create the illusion of a larger bust and if you select a one-piece stick with lower necklines or v-necks.

The not so Well-Endowed Gal should avoid...a one-piece without a neckline, tankinis and suits that are obviously aiding in the padding department.


For the Gal with a bit of a Tummy:
Swimwear with vertical stripes, piping, seams and pattern are good for disguising a tummy.  Select swimwear with side panels that curve into your waist and if you decide to wear a two-piece consider a tankini or a bikini with a darker colour on the bottom and higher waistband.  Suits with higher lycra content are recommended for comfort.

The Gal with a Tummy should avoid...swimwear that digs into your waist or tummy and avoid swimwear that has added embellishment around the waistline, such as belts.


For the Gals with Ample Bottoms & Pear-Shaped Gals:
The key is to draw the eye upward so select swimwear with detail at the bustline.  Consider v-neck or halter style necklines with darker coloured bottoms.  Strapless suits work well for the pear-shaped gals because of the balancing effect created with the strapless upper-half.

The Pear-Shaped and Ample Bottomed Gals should avoid...bottoms that dig into your sides and anything with embellishment around the rear such as ruffles.


So ladies, get out there and shop for those swimsuits and hit the beaches this summer!  It is the season after all so lets embrace it :)


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
The Gap
Addition Elle
Guess
Vitamin A

World Cup Fever!

It's World Cup Soccer time again and the whole world is watching to see if their country is going to win the prestigious World Cup.  In the spirit of the game, why not don one of your team jersey's and cheer them on!!

Here are some men's jerseys with the favoured leaders from each group:

Ladies, don't forget to support the teams as well by sporting one of the jerseys in the men's sizes or select one in many of the ladies versions out there.

GO TEAMS GO!!

Courtesy of:
FIFAStore

Keep Monkeying Around!

I was asked to write a blog post on monkeys because it happens to be one of my readers favourite animals, so I thought "hey why not"?!  I scoured the web and found some items that I thought might inspire your next monkey purchase...and nothing goes better with monkeys other than bananas!  Enjoy!!

There are a multitude of options out there so start monkeying around and get yourself decked out in the latest and greatest monkey and banana gear!!

Happy Shopping!

Courtesy of:

Cafepress.ca

Girlprops.com

Etsy.com

Supermarket

Paul Frank

Cheeky Monkey

Art.com

Sprial and Circle

All Modern

Making your Office at work more like you

Sorry for my recent absence, but I promise that I'll be more on top of things in the future!!


I have a 9-5 job in an office with cubicles and closed-door spaces.  Fortunately for me I am one of the lucky few that has a door, but this doesn't mean that if you have an open-concept space (i.e. cubicle) that you can't personalize your work situation.


For many of us out there (myself included) it can be difficult coming into work to deal with the day-to-day grind and there is nothing worse than a workspace that falls flat.  Uninspiring spaces, in my opinion, are by far the worst for creating inspiration and creativity and for driving work-flow/production.  I understand that in many cases you are limited in what is allowable in your workplace, but there is always a happy medium that can be attained.  For those of us who have the option of working from home or have a stay-at-home job, these tips can also be applied to your at-home situation to infuse your home office with some personality.


Now we all have the basics in our offices: desk, chair, filing cabinet, storage.  But what's lacking is a sense of ourselves.  We sit at our desks all day and work for most of our lives so why not make your space feel more like you.  Here are some ideas to help infuse your work environment with style:


Lighting
If your office space has florescent lighting you are not alone.  Florescent lighting casts a cool glow and many times shadows in your work environment, which in many instances does not provide the best option when working.  If you're able to turn the lights off or down (on a dimmer), or can have the bulbs removed overhead, great!  If not, don't fret because turning down the lights still requires you to have some form of task lighting in your work area.  The best way to achieve task lighting is to bring in incandescent lighting in the form of table and floor lamps.  The key is to make sure that you bring in lamps that create up and down lighting in your workspace.


Up lighting is achieved by having lamps that cast their luminous glow in the upward direction, i.e. toward the ceiling.  The best examples of lamps that provide "up lighting" are floor lamps with shades that tilt toward the ceiling (creating a "bowl" at the neck of the lamp), such as the one shown here:

Down lighting is when the majority of the light is directed downward.  Table lamps are best for creating down lighting and these types of lamps are best for use as task lighting, especially in work spaces.  Task lighting, in other words means to illuminate the workspace/desk.  Be careful when selecting table lamps for use in your work environment because you want to make sure that the lighting is directed, so be sure to select lamps that have shades, such as the one shown here:

You want to make sure that you have both up and down lighting in your workspace in order to achieve maximum lighting potential.  If your workspace will not permit the removal or shutting off of the overhead fluorescent lighting and you are limited in square footage, opt for a table lamp(s).  If you work from home and your office has overhead lighting, get creative with the fixture you select, and make sure that you use incandescent lighting, but I insist that the fixture you select works with the harmony in your space, i.e. that it coordinates.


Artwork
The best way to warm up a space is to hang artwork/photography on the walls, so why not adopt this concept for your work environment as well.  If you have the luxury of a space with proper walls why not hang some proportioned art pieces.  If you have cubicle walls there's nothing to say that you can't hang some artwork as well.  Just be sure that you select pieces that are not too heavy or have glass in the event that it slips and falls.


How to hang artwork in your workspace: to spare yourself the hassle of sending a workorder to get the guy in maintenance to come up in a month's time to bang a hole in your wall, why not consider 3M Command hooks for your space instead.  They leave no marks and can be re-used and re-positioned when needed.  If you have cubicle walls, there are hooks that can be positioned over the top of the cubicle wall in which you can hang your artwork - just be sure that the hanging mechanism on your art-piece can accommodate the hook.  Here is one example:

Framed photography of loved ones or special places visited are also great options for warming up your space.  Just be sure to not overdo it with artwork on your walls or on top of your desk, you still have be able to work functionally.


Decorative Objects
A great way to inject personality into your workspace is to display collections of decorative objects.  Now don't get too carried away because you want your space to look professional, so leave the knick-knacks behind.  To build a collection for your office, cohesion is key, so take a colour from one of your art-pieces to build upon.  Think about texture and material when organizing a collection.  You could easily create a collection of white glazed ceramics in varying styles and textures for example.  Find a niche in your space and display your objects proudly.  You can always translate some of them into functional pieces such as a wooden bowl to hold your paper clips or a vase to hold your pens.  Think about using books or sculptures in your space as well to balance the symmetry - if you have the square footage of course!

Trays, Paperweights and Office Essentials
Why settle for the basic black office essentials such as staplers and tape dispensers (for example) when you can get retro and have these items in red or teal.  You might not find these retro examples in your local office supply shop so scour the web for places that sell vintage items such as Etsy.com. Your in-tray doesn't have to be boring either, why not use a tray that you would in your home as opposed to the traditional plastic.  And who's to say that paperweights are a thing of the past.  Why not get creative with your paperweight and have one personalized; IOMOI has some great paperweight and general office supply ideas.

Think outside the box when it comes to your workspace, after all we spend the majority of our lives there so it should be a place that you can go to and feel at home.


Happy Shopping!


Courtesy of:
IKEA
Structube
Grand and Toy
Pier 1